


The radio interview

by LonelyAngel



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Atlantic Records, Break Up, Coming Out, Friends to Lovers, Homophobia, M/M, Paparazzi, fueled by ramen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-16 18:00:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13059228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LonelyAngel/pseuds/LonelyAngel
Summary: Tyler is Josh's friend, best "fren" and then, finally, boyfriend. And Josh is happy, really happy, until he accidentally outs Tyler during an interview.The situation escalates quickly and turns into Josh's personal nightmare. He wishes he could turn back time just to avoid his mistake, but it's too late.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'll try to finish this until Christmas.

_Two weeks ago, right after another successful show_

 

Tyler and Josh had just left the stage when Josh grabbed Tyler's arm and dragged him away from their crew to a dark corner behind the stage.

"Hey, Josh, what are you doing?" Tyler asked in confusion, stumbling over his own feet when Josh almost ran away from the crew.

"Wait a sec!" Josh whispered and looked over his shoulder to see if someone followed them. Apparently no one did, because he relaxed and pushed Tyler back so he was standing with his back against the wall.

"What's wrong? Josh?" Tyler asked.

"Nothing, I just want to talk to you without someone eavesdropping." The drummer cleared his throat. "So…I, uh… I mean…"

Tyler raised an eyebrow. "Josh."

"Uh, okay, sorry." Josh took a deep breath. "Well, you know I already told you that I'm bi, and, yeah…"

"Hold on." Tyler raised a hand. "I have to say something."

"What…?" Josh shook his head. "No, just let me… it's important."

"I'm gay." Tyler blurted out.

Josh glanced at him. "Yeah, that's great, but… wait, what?"

"I'm gay." Tyler crossed his arms. "Do you have a problem with it?"

"What? No! Of course not, I, that's great, really, but I wanted-"

"I'm in love with you. Been for a while actually." Tyler interrupted him.

Josh stared at him in shock. "What? Are you serious?"

Tyler nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah…" He bit his lip and glanced at the drummer nervously.

"Oh my god." Josh closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You know what? I hate the fact that I was so nervous to tell you that I feel the same way and I wanted to wait for the right moment and you just said it in my face."

"Oh." Tyler's mouth shaped a perfect 'o'. "Uh, sorry? I… I didn't expect that."

"Me too." Josh laughed softly. "I just wanted to get it off my chest. I couldn't lie to you anymore. You're not just my friend, you mean so much more to me, Tyler."

"Josh..." Tyler breathed.

They looked at each other for a moment, unsure what to say.

"Is this real?" Josh asked finally. He had always told himself not to get his hopes up to avoid getting them crushed when he confessed his feelings, so it still felt unreal. "Are you really in love with me?"

Tyler nodded, his eyes suddenly wet with unshed tears.

Josh felt a feeling blooming in his chest, a feeling he had never felt so strong before. His heart was racing and it felt like he was on drugs, everything was surreal and the feeling of happiness and love overwhelmed him. "You love me." he whispered.

Tyler let out a shaky laugh. "I do."

Josh started to cry and then he crashed their mouths together. Tyler stumbled backwards, his back hit the wall and he placed his hands on Josh's shoulders to pull him closer.

The kiss was sloppy and wet, crashing teeth and salty tears, but they would have the rest of their lives to kiss normally. They didn't have to worry.

Suddenly, Josh's future looked so much brighter, Tyler was his light, showing him where his path would go.

 

 

_One week ago_

 

It felt like Josh was flying. He still hadn't realized the fact that he was Tyler's boyfriend. That he could kiss him when he wanted (well, at least when they were alone). They had kept it mostly secret until now, just glancing at each other in public and making out as soon as they were alone.

They didn't talk about their plans for the future, when they would tell their friends, family, fans. Tyler just said "We'll tell 'em. Soon. Don't worry, Josh." There were no specific rules, they just lived on.

Sometimes, when it was cold in the bus, they squeezed in bunk together, just cuddling and listening to each other's breathing. They had done it before, when they were only friends, so the crew didn't see anything wrong with it. This were Josh's favorite moments of the day, just being able to hold Tyler in his arms and feel his warm body being pressed against his own.

Josh had pictured his life with Tyler before, but now his dreams were clearer, more colorful. He saw himself moving in with Tyler, buying a house, having kids. He was happy, so happy. He wanted to tell everybody that Tyler loved him. He wanted to grow old with him. Wanted to live with him forever.

Sometimes Josh thought his heart might burst because it felt like it couldn't hold all the joy and love he felt. Then he crouched down, pressing a hand on his chest, smiling widely and telling himself that it was real.

Their performances got even better. They had so much energy, Tyler jumping around and Josh beating the shit out of his drums. They harmonized more, it was like they were one. Josh never had so much fun on stage before.

He loved Tyler so much.

Tyler kept rubbing Josh's thigh when they sat next to each other, he leaned on Josh more often and sometimes he told Josh how much he loved him.

Josh was sure the joshler shippers were freaking out whenever Tyler told him on stage that he was beautiful and every time Josh blushed and hid his face in his hands, but nobody had real proof and they had been close before, so it didn't spark any new rumors.

 

 

_Present time_

 

Josh was standing in the small bathroom of the bus, getting ready for the radio interview they had scheduled today when Tyler stepped behind him, wrapping his arms around him and kissing his neck.

"You look great." he said and Josh blushed terribly.

Tyler chuckled. Josh turned and kissed him.

"I love you so much." Tyler whispered and pulled him into a hug. "I want… I…" his voice broke. "I'm so happy to be with you."

"I will never leave you." Josh promised.

"I hope so. I want to prove that I'm worth your time." Tyler looked into the mirror at their reflections.

"You're always worth my time." Josh answered and dropped his head on Tyler's shoulder. Tyler sighed and carded his fingers through Josh's hair for a few seconds.

Suddenly, they heard a sharp knock and they broke apart quickly. Mark had knocked at the doorframe to catch their attention. "Are you guys ready to leave?"

Tyler nodded. "I'm ready. Josh?"

"Me too."

Mark gave them thumbs up and together they walked to the car that would bring them to the radio station. Brad and Mark were going with them.

At the station, a peroxide-blonde woman explained them that they would get interviewed by a radio host named Luke. She showed them the room and handed Tyler and Josh their headphones. Mark and Brad left them alone.

Tyler and Josh sat down at the table, right across of the host. Luke was a young man, not much older than them, who had blonde hair, brown eyes and always a smile on his lips. He cracked a few jokes before the interview started and Tyler and Josh visibly relaxed. After a few minutes, Luke told them to get ready for the interview.

"Good morning everybody, this is Luke on 102.7 X and I'm here today with Tyler and Josh from Twenty One Pilots!" The interviewer said. "I'm so excited to meet you guys."

Tyler laughed. "Hi."

"Well, first of all, what is it like to hear your songs in the charts all the time?" Luke asked.

Tyler cleared his throat. "It's great. We love listening to our own music."

The interviewer laughed. "That's great. And your fans love your music, too. They're outside, waiting to see you guys."

"We said hi on our way inside." Josh said. "I can't believe they waited in the cold for hours just to see us."

The interview continued. They talked about being on tour, Tyler told a funny story about Josh almost falling off the stage when he wanted to get to the drum island and Luke asked them a question about new music which Tyler answered with: "We're always working on new music." Both guys liked the interviewer, Luke was funny but also respectful.

After a short news break, Luke asked a few more personal questions. "Well, Josh, does Tyler ever get on your nerves?"

"No, never." Josh answered without hesitation, he didn't even need to think about it. "I can't get enough of him. Especially since we're together now."

He didn't notice the way Tyler looked at him.

 _Well, crap._ Josh thought. _But it's too late and now everybody knows anyway. I'm sure Tyler won't mind._

Luke furrowed his brows. "Yeah… I know you spend a lot of time together on tour. I bet there's not much space inside the bus."

"Yes, but we also stay at a hotel sometimes, so it's not too bad." Josh explained. "Sometimes it's freezing but Tyler and I just squeeze in one bed together to get some warmth." he said with a smile. His cheeks burned at the thought of Tyler sleeping next to him.

"No homo?" Luke asked with a laugh, thinking Josh was joking.

"Full homo." Josh answered.

Luke froze for a second, staring at them. You could almost see his brain working and processing what Josh had said. But only a few seconds later, there was a smile on his lips and his professionalism was back.

"So, you guys are together? Tyler is your boyfriend now?" he asked.

Josh nodded proudly. "Yes, he is. I love him so much."

Luke smiled brightly. "That's so cute! Do your fans know about it?"

"No." Tyler chimed in. "They don't."

"Well, they do now." Josh added with a laugh.

"Awesome. That's exciting news. I wish you all the best!" Luke grinned like the Cheshire cat. "Well, our time is up, thank you so much for being here, Tyler and Josh! And we're going to listen to their song 'Ride'."

The song started playing and Luke muted the mics. He stood up to shake their hands. "Thank you so much for stepping by. I think your crew is waiting in another room, a few doors down the hall."

Josh and Tyler said goodbye and shook Luke's hand, before they walked to the door.

 

They left the studio, Josh happy and Tyler walking behind him without saying a word. Josh didn't worry about him. Tyler often didn't talk for hours when he was thinking hardly about something.

Brad and Mark waited in another room of the radio station, where they had been listening to the interview.

Mark jumped up when they opened the door.

Silence filled the room and for a few seconds nobody dared to move. Then, Mark cleared his throat.

"So, you guys are together now?"

Josh looked at the faces of their best friends. They looked like they didn't know how to react to the news, a mix of disbelief and confusion on their faces. Josh nodded and smiled.

"Yes, we are together. I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner."

He glanced at Tyler and expected him to smile and agree, but Tyler's shoulders were tense and his teeth gritted. Josh could see the muscles at his jaw moving.

Josh's smile faded away. Tyler quietly released a long breath and glared at the drummer.

"I can't believe you did that." he said slowly.

Josh furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"

Tyler clenched his hands to fists. "Are you kidding me? You just told everybody that we're together."

Josh nodded in confusion. "Yeah, I did. What's wrong with that?"

" _What's wrong with that?_ You fucking asshole, you just outed me live on radio!" Tyler yelled. "Use your fucking brain before you talk!"

Josh took a step back, hurt by Tyler's words. "I… I'm sorry, Tyler. I didn't think about it."

"Of course you didn't think about it!" Tyler shouted. "Because you never think about the consequences! Maybe it's not a big deal for you, but it's a big deal for me! My family doesn't even know about it and now everybody knows, everybody!"

Josh blinked his tears away. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you wanted to keep it a secret. Are you… are you ashamed of me?"

Tyler pulled at his own hair in frustration. "You don't get, do you? You just told an entire country that I'm gay. It's not about our relationship, it's not about you, it is about me! I hate you, Josh! You ruin everything!"

"I didn't know, okay?" Josh raised his voice. "I didn't know that you didn't want people to know, I didn't know that you didn't want to out yourself, I didn't know you were such a _coward._ " He regretted his words as soon as he said them out loud.

Tyler gasped for breath. "You fucking…" he whispered. "You only think about yourself. You know what? Screw you, Josh. I can't live with someone who doesn't respect my privacy. You're not my boyfriend anymore."

Josh looked at him in shock. "What? You can't be serious."

Tyler laughed dryly. "I'm serious. Fuck you, Josh. I'm breaking up. This is over." He turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Josh stared at the door. His hands were shaking. "He can't be serious." he whispered.

Brad, who had watched their fight speechless like Mark, placed a hand on his shoulder. "I think he is. I've never seen him so furious in my life."

"Shit." Josh covered his mouth with his hand. "I didn't want to…"

"I know." Brad said. "But I can understand that he's angry."

"I'm sorry." Josh sobbed. "I was just so happy about it, about the fact that he agreed to be my boyfriend. I wanted everybody to know that he's mine. I love him, Brad. I... I l-love him."

Brad sighed. "Just give him some time. He needs to calm down. Maybe you should leave him alone for a while."

Josh bit his lip and readjusted his snapback. Maybe Brad was right. Once Tyler would calm down, he would regret the break up. Hopefully.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I know the majority of the Clique is very supportive, but I changed it for the story :) sorry.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Brad sighed. "I think we better go now."

Josh wiped his tears away and took a deep breath.

He was glad when Mark handed him sunglasses to cover his puffy eyes. "We can talk later." he said and placed his hand on Josh's shoulder, squeezing it for second, showing his support.

"Thank you." Josh whispered.

"I just hope nobody heard your fight." Brad mumbled as he opened the door. Tyler sat on a chair at the opposite of the hallway, arms crossed and looking at the floor angrily, waiting for them so they could leave the station. He looked up when they left the room.

Josh cleared his throat. "Tyler…"

"Don't talk to me!" Tyler snapped. His voice was hoarse from yelling.

"Boys, not now!" Brad whispered.

Tyler glared at Josh and turned his head away. Tears started running down Josh's cheeks again, but he wiped then away.

It seemed like nobody had heard them yelling, the hallway was empty. "Let's use the rear exit, all the fans are waiting outside." Brad suggested. They followed him, Mark next to Josh and Tyler a few steps behind him.

Everyone in the radio station seemed to be busy. Suddenly, Josh didn't feel so important anymore. He didn't feel like a rock star. An intern showed them where the exit was. He didn't notice Josh's damp cheeks nor Tyler's grim look on his face.

They left the station quickly and walked to the car. By taking a detour, they avoided the fans and reached the car without being seen by them. Josh felt bad when he thought about them waiting outside, hoping they would see their idols, but he knew he wouldn't be able to talk to them without crying. Heck, he even couldn't stop crying now!

Tyler didn't seem to notice it, his hands were clenched to fists, his fingernails digging into his palm. Luckily, they didn't have to sit next to each other, Josh was sure Tyler would strangle him if he could. They never had an argument like this before, but it seemed like Josh couldn't fix his mistake this time.

He wanted to apologize, but Tyler ignored him and when they reached the tour bus, he rushed to his bunk without even looking at the drummer.

Josh got out of the car and wanted to follow him, but Mark grabbed his arm. "Josh, don't." he shook his head. "He needs to calm down. I'm sure he's not going to listen to you right now."

Josh sighed and stopped.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Mark gave him a reproachful look. "I thought we were friends."

Josh gritted his teeth. "I'm sorry. I didn't plan this, it just slipped out."

"Well, maybe you could tell us first next time." Mark answered and shook his head. "I don't know why you had to keep it secret. We're friends after all. Did you really expect us to shun you like the devil after your coming-out?"

Josh groaned. "I'm sorry, okay? We wanted to tell you, later."

"Later?" Mark asked and took a step back. "When? After your marriage? Maybe you should think about what it means to have friends."

"Shut up, Mark." Josh snapped. "I don't want to talk about it anymore."

Mark wanted to say something but Brad interrupted him. "Mark, leave it, okay?"

Mark huffed and walked to the bus, shutting the door loudly.

"Josh, don't listen to him. He's just hurt that you didn't tell him." Brad tried to calm the drummer down.

"Leave me alone, Brad. Just leave me the fuck alone." Josh spat and walked to the bus where he walked straight to his bunk. Mark glared at him when he walked by, but Josh ignored him. Josh shut the curtain forcefully and buried his head in the pillow.

 

Josh's mom called him half an hour after the interview. At the beginning, Josh ignored her call, but then he left the bus and picked up.

"Mom?"

"Josh!" His mother sounded relieved. "Honey, it's so good to hear your voice. I heard the interview."

"I'm sorry." Josh said.

"What are you sorry for?" Laura asked.

"For not telling you." Josh mumbled. "Nobody knew and I just… I just outed Tyler live on radio and he's so angry at me, mom, he hates me!"

"I don't think so. He's your best fr-…boyfriend."

"Ex-boyfriend." Josh laughed, but it didn't sound happy at all. "He's so mad at me, he broke up with me right after the interview and he won't even listen to me."

"Oh, Josh, I'm sorry, but listen to me. Maybe Tyler's angry, but he'll calm down and apologize. It was probably shocking for him to hear what you said and he just needs some time for himself."

"He said that he hated me. And that I… that I ruin everything. He said s _crew you, Josh._ " Josh oppressed a sob. "I didn't want to hurt him, mom, I was just so happy…"

Laura sighed. "I'm sure he didn't mean what he said. If he loves you, and I'm sure he does, he'll apologize, you'll see."

"Are you… are you mad at me?" Josh asked.

"No." his mother said. "I'm not mad at you. I think it's great that you fell in love again. Love can hurt a lot and you're experiencing that right now, but after all this fuss, you'll be happy. And that's all I want for you, Josh."

"Thank you." Josh whispered. "I love you, mom."

 

Josh felt a little bit better after the call. It was nice to talk to somebody who wasn't mad at him, someone who supported him.

He was sorry, but he also was a little bit angry. Why was Tyler so stubborn? He was mad at Josh, yeah, but he could at least listen to him. They would've told their families and friends anyway, maybe later, but what was the difference between Josh's and Tyler's "coming out"? He outed himself too with telling everybody that Tyler was his boyfriend and Josh wasn't being such an ass. He could live with it. Why couldn't Tyler?

He decided to turn his phone off after he received multiple calls and texts from his siblings, friends and even Tyler's parents. He ignored every single one of them, he didn't want to be bothered right now, he was glad they didn't have to play a show today. He didn't know how to interact with Tyler.

 

Tyler ignored him and stayed in his bunk for the rest of the day. Mark had calmed down after a few hours and didn't seem angry at Josh, but his voice didn't hold any emotion when he talked to him. Josh was grateful that at least Brad wasn't mad at him.

Tyler didn't even leave his bunk to get something to eat, he only went to the bathroom once. Josh felt incredibly guilty. He wanted to say sorry, he didn't think outing him accidentally would affect Tyler so much. He tried to distract himself by watching tv, but it didn't work.

Two times, he heard Tyler's phone ringing in his bunk, but the singer never answered the call. It seemed like he had muted his phone after it.

Josh received pitying looks from the crew when they noticed his red eyes, but no one dared to talk to him. It seemed like Brad had told them what had happened. They probably didn't know what to say.

Josh accepted that Tyler didn't want to talk to him today and went to bed early, but he couldn't sleep. He knew Tyler was in the bunk right above him and not being able to sneak into his bunk to cuddle made him even sadder. He understood that Tyler was upset, he just hoped he would listen to him and accept his apology.

 

The next day, Josh woke up from Tyler walking by his bunk. Josh climbed out of his bunk, following the singer to the fridge.

Tyler turned when he noticed the drummer.

"Tyler, listen, I'm-" Josh said but Tyler rushed past him to his bunk without even looking at him. Josh felt tears welling up in his eyes. Being ignored by Tyler hurt a lot.

Josh chewed on his cheek and told himself to be patient, Tyler just needed more time. He ate some cereal, then brushed his teeth. Since Tyler had shut the curtains of his bunk, Josh told the crew that he was going for a walk.

The city they were in was loud and full of people. Josh covered his face with his hood. Brad had asked him if he needed security to go with him and Josh had shaken his head no, but right now he wished to have a bodyguard by his side. He didn't want to talk to anybody right now.

Josh bought some coffee at Starbucks. Luckily, nobody recognized him and the fact that he didn't tell the barista his real name probably helped a lot. He walked around until he came to a shop that sold newspapers and gossip magazines. He wanted to walk by when the cover of a magazine caught his attention.

There was a picture of him and Tyler on the cover, probably from a photoshoot months ago and a bright red headline: _Twenty one pilots' lead singer Tyler Joseph is gay!_

Josh stopped and noticed another magazine. _Shocking news: Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun are a couple!_

His breath caught in his throat. He stepped closer and grabbed the magazine, flipping through it until he found the article he was looking for.

_Joshler confirmed!_

_As Josh Dun (29), drummer of the successful band Twenty One Pilots, confirmed in a yesterday's interview, he and Tyler Joseph (29), lead singer, are officially a couple. Nobody knows how long they kept their relationship secret. Fans all over the world are surprised._

_"I can't believe it! #joshlerisreal" a fan tweeted yesterday. "We always thought they were joking"_

_"We all knew it would happen. #joshler4ever". Another fan tweeted._

_But the band also received a lot of criticism. Some fans even left the bandom because of the news._

_"I don't know what to think about it. It's wrong. And I think they know it, since they kept it secret."_

_This is only one reason why people are disappointed in the two of them._

_"I feel betrayed." A fan wrote on twitter after the interview._

_The question is, how many fans are they going to lose because of their love affair? We all hope that the boys will make a statement as soon as possible to try to smooth the waters and to tell more about their love for each other._

Josh stared at the page. The words burned into his brain. His head snapped up when he heard someone talking to him.

"Hey! You have to buy the magazine if you want to read it." the owner of the shop said loudly.

Josh flinched and put the magazine back into the shelf. He turned and walked away, pulling his phone out of his pocket, turning it on. He felt worse when he saw how many calls and texts he had received. He was sure Twitter was blowing up right now.

Josh decided to ignore the messages and do some research.

He typed _Twenty One Pilots news_ into the search bar and only a few seconds later, he read through headlines about them being gay. He clicked on an article.

_Does being gay make Tyler Joseph a sinner?_

_Everybody is aware that Tyler Joseph is Christian, but does it mean he can love his bandmate, Josh Dun?_

Josh didn't read the article, he scrolled down to the comment section, reading through it. The hateful comments made him feel sick. People were calling them sinners, saying that they would go to hell.

Maybe his fans were more supportive. He hoped so. They had supported them since the beginning and he was sure they still did. Josh left the website quickly, logging into his Instagram account, reading through the comments below his last photo.

_#joshlerisreal_

_FuUck why are u doing tihs?_

_Daddys!!1!_

_SINNER_

_GOD HATES YOU_

_I used to like you, but now…_

_You should kill yourself_

_Being gay is a sin_

_I LOVE U,JOSH_

_Fucking faggots_

_I knew it joshler is real_

_#fucktwentyonepilots_

_Im not a fan anymore_

_you suuuck_

Josh felt cold when he read through the comments. His fans let him down, the people he didn't even know but trusted anyway, let him down, hated on him and told him to kill himself, just because he was in love with his best friend.

He had never expected so much hate. Suddenly, he could understand why Tyler was so angry. He probably had expected this to happen.

_It's just a nightmare._ Josh told himself. _I'll wake up with Tyler next to me and everything will be okay._

But it was real and it was him who messed up. Not Tyler. Not the crew. It was all his fault.


	3. Chapter 3

Josh's hands were shaking when he walked back to the bus. He wanted to throw up, but he couldn't. There was just this sick feeling inside of him that made his thoughts unfocused and his mind replaying the words he just read, while his stomach hurt like he had eaten poisoned food.

The shock must have been written all over his face, because Mark stared at him when he opened the door of the bus and stepped in.

"Dude, what's wrong?" Mark asked. "You're pale as fuck."

"Our fans hate us." Josh whispered. "Have you seen the tweets? They told me to kill myself." He flinched when he noticed Tyler standing near the bunks, looking at him.

"They what?" Mark sucked in a breath.

Josh slumped down on the couch, burying his face in his hands. "Fuck Twenty One Pilots is the new hashtag." he swallowed. "I fucked up, I fucked up so bad."

Mark shook his head. "But they are your fans. They would never…"

Josh grabbed his phone and handed it Mark. "See it yourself."

Mark scrolled through the comments, his face expression switching between horror and anger. "I can't believe it." He mumbled and looked up. "Tyler, have you seen these comments?"

"Of course I have." Tyler answered and glared at Josh. "Playing music, being a musician was my dream. Thanks for destroying everything, Josh." he said coldly.

Josh jumped up. "Of course it's my fault, right? Everything that goes wrong is my fault, because Tyler-oh-I'm-so-fucking-perfect-Joseph never makes a mistake!"

"Of course it's your fault. You outed me, not the other way round!" Tyler snarled.

"And I fucking apologized, okay?" Josh yelled. "Or I tried, you just wouldn't listen to me, because the easiest way was to blame and then ignore me."

"I trusted you and just spilling out my private life to strangers is not a way to show trust. Or maybe you're just retarded." Tyler scoffed and crossed his arms.

With two big steps, Josh crossed the room, stopped right in front of him and grabbed his throat, pushing him back. Tears threatened to spill out of his eyes when he looked at Tyler's face. The singer stared at him with a frown.

"Are you going to hit me, Josh?" Tyler whispered. "Are you going to punch me in the face?"

Josh dropped his hands to the side and took a step back. "What happened to us?" he asked in shock. "We were best friends and now we're just yelling at each other."

"Maybe we're not best friends anymore." Tyler said quietly and rubbed his neck. "Maybe we shouldn't even talk to each other. Not when you're trying to choke me to death."

Josh closed his eyes, he couldn't believe that he just attacked Tyler, hurt him physically. When he opened his eyes again, Tyler was gone.

Mark looked at him. "Dude, what the fuck was that?" He stared at the drummer and Josh could see a hint of fear in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I just…" Josh stuttered. "I-I freaked out."

"You know I like you, Josh." Mark said slowly. "I think you're pretty cool and I'm glad that we're friends, but if you and Tyler are going separate ways, I'm going to choose Tyler. I'll always choose Tyler."

The fact that Mark was willing to lose their friendship if Josh and Tyler decided to break up the band hurt Josh deeply. He realized that he was losing everything right now, his boyfriend, his fans and his friends. He didn't know what hurt more, the fact that everybody seemed to hate him or the fact that he felt so terribly guilty.

Mark sighed and turned away from Josh.

Josh bit his lip and had a hard time not to cry.

 

Josh stared at his phone, trying to distract himself. Brad sat next to him, going through the photos he took a few days ago. Josh glanced at Brad's laptop and felt a cold shiver running down his spine when he saw a photo of Tyler and him, bowing after a show.

The Josh on the picture was shirtless, confetti was sticking to his back and he seemed happy. Tyler didn't look at the audience, he looked at Josh and his smile was so bright, it showed his crooked bottom teeth.

Tyler always said he had a terrible smile but Josh disagreed. And right now Tyler's smile seemed even more beautiful, knowing that he probably wouldn't smile like that at Josh ever again.

Josh looked away quickly.

The ringtone of his phone startled him and he stood up, answering the call without looking at the ID.

"Hello?"

"Josh, is that you?" a female voice asked.

"Mrs. Joseph." Josh took a deep breath. He tried to prepare himself for being yelled at for hurting her son.

"Where's Tyler?" Kelly asked. "I called him almost ten times and Chris did, too. He doesn't answer his phone."

"I don't know." Josh lied although he knew Tyler was in his bunk.

Brad looked up from his laptop and watched him pacing around.

"Is he alright?" Tyler's mother sounded worried.

"I think so. He doesn't want to talk to anybody, though."

Kelly sighed. "Tell him that he should call me, please."

"Got it." Josh said shortly.

"Thank you. Goodbye, Josh." she hung up and Josh released a long breath, looking at his phone. He turned and walked to Tyler's bunk, ripping the curtain open.

Tyler sat up quickly, hitting his head against the ceiling of the bunk. "Fuck off."

"Your mom called me." Josh said and ignored Tyler's scowl. "She told me to tell you to call her."

"I won't." Tyler responded and lied down again, turning away so his back was facing Josh. "You should check your mails by the way."

Josh sighed and shut his curtain. He turned and walked back to the couch, grabbing his phone and logging into his mail account.

Josh started to shiver when he saw that he had received a mail by Atlantic Records' CEO Pete Ganbarg.

Usually, only their manager Chris Woltman contacted them, so it seemed to be very serious. What if they got sued, what if Atlantic Records and Fueled by Ramen kicked them out?

Josh remembered what happened after the Heathens leak. Atlantic Records had been furious, because their marketing and promotion plans had to get cancelled. They even took the case to the court, but luckily dropped it after a while.

Josh had been afraid that they would lose the contract with the record company.

He opened the mail hesitantly, reading through it.

Ganbarg told them to meet up with Chris Woltman tomorrow before the show, nothing more. No word about their coming out, nothing about the future of the band. That scared Josh the most. He didn't know what to expect.

He didn't talk to anybody, he just went to his bunk and tried to fall asleep, but he couldn't. Josh thought about the show the next day and started to sweat. His bunk felt too hot and too small, Josh couldn't breathe. He tried to calm himself down by singing his favorite Green Day songs in his head, but it took a long time until he fell asleep.

He dreamt he walked on stage, ready to perform, Tyler right next to him. The intro of heavydirtysoul was playing and the lights were flashing. When he reached his drums and wanted to sit down behind them, he noticed that the arena was empty.

Tyler started to rap, but his voice echoed in the empty arena and made him stop. He stepped away from the mic that was hanging from the ceiling and looked around, searching for somebody who was there to see them perform.

Josh would never forget the look of pain that flashed over Tyler's face once he realized that nobody came to their concert.

He woke up with a gasp, his heart racing and breathing heavily. Josh placed a hand on his chest, feeling his fast heartbeat through his skin. He needed a few minutes to calm down. Josh ached for somebody to hold him, somebody who told him that everything would be fine, but he was alone.

 

"Do you think they're going to sue us?" Josh asked, walking next to Tyler through a building he forgot the name of. Some kind of business complex, made out of steal and shiny glass. They were on their way to the meeting with their manager in a conference room.

 _Only a few steps away from hell._ Josh thought.

Tyler didn't answer for a few seconds and Josh saw that he wasn't sure if he should keep on ignoring Josh. "I don't think so. We're too important, we're their gold mine."

Josh knew he had a point, if they would get sued, the label would lose much money. Tyler destroyed the feeling of confidence he felt immediately when he glanced at Josh.

"Maybe they'll sue you and tell me to be a solo artist, but they'll probably just yell at you. Who knows?" he shrugged.

Josh wanted to punch him. Tyler sparked his anxiety, but he didn't seem to enjoy being mean. In fact, Tyler's tanned skin looked almost grey and he had big bags under his eyes.

Finally, they reached the room and Josh opened the door slowly. His palms were sweaty and his breathing unsteady.

Mr. Woltman looked up when they entered the room. Usually, he greeted them with a handshake, but now he just pointed to the big table in the middle of the room. A few magazines were placed on the table, the headlines mocking them.

Josh sat down, Tyler next to him. The drummer was glad that Tyler didn't choose to sit far away from him. Tyler didn't show any kind of nervousness on his face, but Josh knew he was as afraid as he was, because he kept rubbing his thigh.

Mr. Woltman cleared his throat, stood up and placed his hands on the table, leaning forward.

"Good morning, Josh, good morning, Tyler. I guess you know why Mr. Ganbarg asked for a meeting. Unfortunately, he can't be here today. I'm here to-"

"I'm sorry." Josh interrupted him. "It was a mistake, I know, but we wouldn't have kept it secret forever anyway."

"Josh, please let me finish my sentence." Mr. Woltman said calmly.

Josh bit his lip and looked down on the table.

"I'm here to tell you that this behavior is unacceptable. You know the rules and such a sudden irrational act has negative consequences. I thought you were aware of that. I'm disappointed in both of you."

Josh was sick of getting lectured. "I know it was wrong, okay? And I know we're losing our fans because of that, but if they don't accept us, they can go fuck themselves!" he growled. He was so angry, he was ready to storm off, but he knew the damage was already done.

"Do you know what that means? You ruined your image!" Mr. Woltman raised his voice. "We worked hard on it and you just…" he took a deep breath. "That's a catastrophe. The image is the most important thing in the music industry."

"It doesn't matter." Tyler said coldly. "We broke up."

"No. You can't break up. Not after this!" their manager gestured to the magazines on the table. "We need to work with that now, fix the damage and try to prevent losing even more fans."

"What do you mean by that?" Tyler asked slowly.

"I don't care if you broke up or not, you have to pretend to be boyfriends."

"No!" Tyler jumped up. His chair tilted backwards and crashed to the ground. He looked at the manager furiously.

Josh squeezed his eyes shut. He just wanted to disappear.

"Okay." Mr. Woltman crossed his arms and looked at Tyler. "If you don't want to pretend being Josh's boyfriend, you're free to go." He gestured to the door. "But Atlantic Records and Fueled by Ramen will terminate the contracts with Twenty One Pilots."

Tyler looked at him. "I bet there's a thousand of labels who'd love to work with me."

The manager shrugged. "With that image? After being outed as gay, then breaking up with your boyfriend and finally breaking up the band?"

" _I am_ Twenty One Pilots." Tyler spat. "Nothing can change that."

Mr. Woltman shook his head. " You don't understand." he took a deep breath. 

"If you leave this room, Twenty One Pilots will be dead."


	4. Chapter 4

Tyler froze, staring at Mr. Woltman.

"Are you serious?" he whispered. "I formed this band. I did everything to be successful, you can't just take that away from me."

"You're free to go. Being in the music industry means to be dependent, Tyler. Of course you're the founder of Twenty One Pilots, but we own a part of this band. You can re-read the contract if you want. I think we should all try to calm down and make the best out of the situation." Mr. Woltman said calmly.

Tyler looked at the door, back at the manager and then at Josh. The drummer wanted to say something, tell him that he should stay, but he couldn't move under Tyler's gaze.

Josh watched him, holding his breath and hoping with all his heart that Tyler would stay. He didn't want to lose the band.

"What do you think, Josh?" Tyler asked finally.

"Why do you ask _me_?" Josh answered. "I thought I ruined everything."

"Well, you're still a part of the band." Tyler crossed his arms.

"Don't leave." Josh said quickly.

Tyler took a deep breath. It seemed like he wanted to walk to the door, but he hesitated. Josh could see his internal battle by the way his hands were trembling and every muscle of his body was tensed.

Slowly, Tyler reached down to grab the back of the chair, stood it up and sat down. He looked down at his knees and avoided Mr. Woltman's gaze. Josh knew that for him it felt like he had lost the battle, because Tyler's pride told him to leave.

Josh released a long breath. He was so relieved that Tyler decided to stay.

Mr. Woltman sat down, too and ran a hand through his hair. "Thank you, Tyler. The plan is simple: You're playing this show tonight and keep on touring. After the tour we can decide what to do. I want you guys to make a statement that shows that nothing can get you down, okay? Just ignore the haters."

Josh nodded.

The manager stood up. "Thank you. That's all for today. We'll keep in touch."

Tyler and Josh stood up, too. Mr. Woltman opened the door for them. "And don't forget: You're in love with each other."

Tyler just grabbed his shoulder and carefully pushed him out of the way, Josh following him. They left the room quickly and walked through the hallway.

"So, uh, we're in this together now?" Josh asked, glancing at Tyler.

Tyler shrugged. "I think so. Just… don't fuck this up, okay? Not again. This is our last chance."

Josh wanted to be angry at Tyler for saying that, but the way he said it, his voice full of nervousness and insecurity, made Josh feel guilty. "I won't. I promise."

 

Josh glanced at his watch. Only half an hour until they would go on stage.

Josh could hear the fans cheering, but maybe he was imagining it, because he expected people to stay away, saying they didn't want to see two _faggots_ performing. His nightmare still felt real.

Tyler was pacing around in the dressing room. They hadn't talked since the meeting, Tyler had looked very pensive, but Josh felt a little bit better around him.

Josh still wanted to apologize and he hoped Tyler would listen to him today.

He cleared his throat. "Tyler?"

The singer stopped and looked at him.

Josh swallowed nervously. "I just wanted to say… I'm so incredibly sorry. I didn't want to hurt your feelings and I know it's my fault. I fucked up and I'm sorry for yelling at you. I know you're angry and I shouldn't have choked you that was… inexcusable."

Josh was relieved that Tyler didn't interrupt him, he just listened with an unreadable face expression.

"I love you, Ty, I really do and you know I'd do anything to make you feel better. We're not boyfriends anymore, but maybe we can be friends again? That's all I hope for. And, I, uh I wanted to say thank you. For… for not leaving the room. For choosing our band."

Tyler shook his head. "I didn't choose the band, Josh. I chose you."

Josh looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

"Do you really think I stopped loving you just because you were an asshole?" Tyler asked bitterly. "I still love you and that's probably the reason why I was so hurt. I love our band, I love our music, but that's not the point. I thought about leaving the room, about leaving the band, I really did. I thought about being a solo artist, but it wasn't only my talent that made us famous. I don't want to be a loner in the music industry, someone with decent talent but without friends. I was so stupid. I don't want to play music without you, Josh."

He fumbled with his hands. "I want you by my side, I want you in this band with me. Josh, do you… do want to be my boyfriend again?"

Josh stood up. "Are you serious?" he asked.

Tyler nodded. "I'm sorry for freaking out, I'm so sorry. I… I love you Josh."

A sob escaped Josh's lips when he walked to Tyler and pulled him into a hug. "Tyler." he whispered. "Thank you. Do you forgive me?"

Tyler buried his face in Josh's neck. "I forgive you."

They stayed like this for a few minutes, until they broke apart.

"I'm scared." Josh admitted. "What if our fans decided to stay at home?"

"There are people outside. You can hear them cheering." Tyler said. "And even if the arena is only half full, it doesn't matter, right? We have each other and the fans that are waiting for us to come on stage and perform and that's all that matters."

His words calmed Josh down. Tyler was right. Maybe their life wasn't perfect right now, but they had each other and knowing that your best friend was by your side helped a lot.

"We can do it." Tyler encouraged him. "I believe in you. It's time for our show."

Josh took a deep breath and followed Tyler to the stage.

 

Cheers erupted when Tyler and Josh entered the stage. Josh looked around, the arena was almost full, although he knew there was space for more people. It seemed like some fans decided not to go to the concert, but Josh didn't care.

This fans in front of him were the people that accepted and supported them.

He sat down behind his drums and they started to play.

Josh knew that people were waiting for Tyler to talk about their relationship, but they wanted to wait until they would give an official statement.

In the middle of the show, someone threw a pride flag on the stage. Tyler smiled at them and held it up, before throwing it back into the crowd. Josh was sure that they could go through this together.

 

After the show, Tyler hugged him tightly.

"You should call your mom." Josh said.

Tyler nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right."

After a quick shower, they headed to the tour bus where Tyler grabbed his phone and called his mom.

"So, you guys are talking to each other again?" Mark asked.

Josh nodded happily. "Yeah, you were right, he just needed some time."

Mark showed a crooked smile. "That's great."

"He asked me to be his boyfriend." Josh added. "And I said yes."

"As long as you don't break up every week, I'm fine with it." Mark responded and grinned.

"I hope not. We talked about everything and he forgave me."

Tyler entered the room, a smile on his face.

"What did she say?" Josh asked.

Tyler shrugged. "She was angry at first because I ignored her, but I told her about our fight and she was happy that we've made up."

Josh yawned and rubbed his eyes. "I'm tired, I think I'll go to bed. Goodnight." He wanted to walk to his bunk, but turned and looked at Tyler. "Do you… you want to join me?"

Tyler thought about it and nodded. "Sure. Goodnight Mark."

Mark raised an eyebrow. "Goodnight."

Tyler followed Josh to his bunk and they climbed in. They squeezed in together, Josh at the back and Tyler resting his back against his chest. Josh wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer, burying his face in Tyler's neck.

Tyler sighed and snuggled closer to him.

Josh closed his eyes. Feeling Tyler right next to him made him incredibly happy.


	5. Chapter 5

Josh woke up way too early. He noticed that Tyler was pressed against him, his nose buried in Josh's shirt, breathing quietly.  
It was dark in the bunk and hot, but it felt comfortable.

  
Josh closed his eyes again and Tyler's steady breathing lulled him back to sleep. A few hours later, he felt a soft push against his chest.

  
"Josh, wake up." Tyler whispered.

  
Josh squinted his eyes and yawned.

  
"Get up, I want to go out, do some sightseeing." Tyler said and shook him impatiently.

  
"Are you kidding me? I'm tired." Josh groaned. "It's always me who has to convince you to leave the bus. What happened to you?"

  
Tyler laughed. "Well, not today. Get up, you lazy-"

  
"Are we allowed to go outside?" Josh interrupted him and sat up, pushing the covers away and climbing out of the bunk.

  
"I called Woltman earlier and he said yes. Tomorrow we have an interview where we are going to give a statement." Tyler answered.

  
Josh walked to the small bathroom and grabbed his toothbrush. "What about breakfast?"

  
Tyler, who had followed him, looked into the mirror and ran a hand through his hair, trying to style it. "We can brunch." He carded his fingers through his brown curls and sighed.

  
Josh spat the toothpaste into the sink. "Alright, I'll be ready in a minute."

  
Tyler nodded and walked to the couch, sitting down and waiting for Josh.

  
The drummer hurried to get ready and they left the bus after a few minutes, telling the crew that they were walking towards downtown.

  
They left the venue where the bus was parked, greeting the security guard at the gate.

  
After they reached the middle of the town, they quickly found a place where they ordered tons of food.

  
Most people were at work, so the place was empty and both of them enjoyed the silence.  
After the breakfast, Josh leaned back in his chair, rubbing his stomach. "I'm full." he groaned.

  
Tyler grinned. "Just one more pancake."

  
"No way." Josh shook his head.

  
"If you eat this pancake, you will get a kiss." Tyler raised an eyebrow and looked at Josh with a smirk.

  
Josh sighed and looked at the pancake, biting his lip. Then, he started to eat. "You know that all the girls only like our band because of my smoking hot body and you're  making me fat." he said, stuffing another syrup-dripping piece of pancake into his mouth.

  
"That's my plan, I'm the lead singer, I have to be sexier than the drummer." Tyler chuckled.

  
Josh rolled his eyes. "Keep trying."

  
They finished the breakfast and Josh got the kiss, although he didn't eat the whole pancake.

  
They walked through the town, fingers intertwined. Suddenly, Josh stopped. "Tyler, I think someone is following us." he whispered.

  
Tyler turned his head fast enough to notice the man who tried to hide behind a fence. He furrowed his brows. "Maybe it's a fan."

  
Josh bit his lip and they decided to keep walking. Josh felt the presence of the man behind him and he shivered.

  
After a few minutes, Tyler sighed. "I'm going to talk to him."

  
He turned and looked at the man who stopped and stared at him wide-eyed when he noticed that he couldn't hide anymore.

  
Josh noticed the camera around his neck. He tugged at Tyler's sleeve. "Tyler, I think this is a paparrazo." he whispered.

  
Tyler eyed the man and turned back. "You're right." he said slowly. "I think we should go back to the bus."

  
The paparrazo followed them, Josh heard the clicking of his camera behind his back and it made him feel uncomfortable.

He wanted to withdraw his hand, but Tyler glanced at him. "He already has pictures of us holding hands, Josh. And we don't want to hide anymore."

  
Josh sighed and nodded. He just had to get used to holding hands and kissing in public.

"I don't believe it." Tyler mumbled after a few minutes. "Look, there's another one."

  
He was right. The other paparrazo didn't keep his distance, he walked only a few meters next to them, taking several photographs. That seemed to encourage the first paparrazo, because he stepped closer.

  
Josh knew that Tyler didn't like the paparrazi, but he kept his gaze down and his fingers intertwined with Josh's. Josh tried not to get angry at the men that were walking next to them, taking pictures of them without asking for permission.

  
When a third paparrazo appeared, they started to walk backwards in front of the two musicians. The flashes made Josh flinch and squeeze his eyes. He noticed that people were staring at them. It probably looked ridiculous, them walking, being followed by the paparrazi.

  
He was glad when they reached the gate of the venue. The security guard quickly called for reinforcements.

  
Before they walked through the gate, Tyler pulled Josh into a deep kiss. Josh was surprised at first but returned the kiss quickly. The sound of clicking cameras filled his ears.

  
Then, they entered the venue. The paparrazi wanted to follow them, but the security guards held them back.

  
"The photo of us kissing is going to be in every gossip magazine tomorrow." Josh muttered.

  
"Probably." Tyler grinned.

  
Josh rolled his eyes.

 

 

  
  
The show went by quickly and Josh would be worried about the interview next day if it wasn't for Tyler. Knowing the singer by his side helped Josh a lot.

  
When they drove to the building where the interview took place, Tyler placed his hand on top of Josh's until he stopped trembling. They walked into the building together, not once hesitating.

  
The interviewer was a woman in her mid-thirties. She greeted them and told them to sit down on a couch. They did and Josh leaned against Tyler to feel his warmth through his hoodie.

  
After the cameras were set up, they started filming.

  
The interviewer greeted them again and cut the chase, talking about the photo of the kiss that was in the news and asking them about their relationship.

  
Tyler cleared his throat and looked right into the camera.

  
"I love Josh and Josh loves me. I know there are people that don't approve our relationship, but it's our own decision. We want to be together."

  
He smiled at the drummer briefly. "I know there are people that hate against us, but we're thankful for our families, friends and, of course, all fans that support us."

  
Tyler's voice was calm, but Josh could hear the sincerity in it. "Nothing can change our love for each other." he squeezed Josh's hand softly and Josh couldn't help but blush.

  
Tyler looked at him and smiled. "I would do anything for him." he said slowly. "Josh... you're the love of my life."  
 


End file.
